Hospital & Community Spotlight

Author: JasonGraziadei

As I was driving to the Minneapolis airport last week to return to Nantucket, I could see a car burning on a freeway entry ramp and smoke rising from the downtown area as a result of the unrest following the tragic and needless death of George Floyd.

What I saw passing through Minneapolis and in the news images of protests from across the country over the past week have been stark reminders of how much work is left to be done to confront and eliminate racism and support marginalized people in our society. Medical organizations across the country, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association and the American College of Physicians, have recognized that racism is a public health issue.

I echo the recent sentiments shared by Anne Klibanski, President and CEO of Mass General Brigham, and Peter Slavin, President and CEO of Massachusetts General Hospital on these issues. I want Nantucket Cottage Hospital to join with our colleagues across the system in examining the challenges of systemic racism in our own health system, and to lead by example and actions. I agree wholeheartedly that we can confront racism only when our colleagues and patients of color feel fully seen, heard and appreciated for the value that they bring every single day to Nantucket Cottage Hospital. We are part of a healthcare system that is committed to ending suffering, but it’s important that we recognize that we can and must do more to ensure equity in providing care to all residents of the island community. (more…)

Key Takeaways

The geriatric population, those who are 65 years and older, has been widely noted as among the most at risk of developing severe illness from COVID-19. Physical distancing has been the critical measure in the prevention and spread of infection within this age group.

However, while the physical health of the geriatric population has certainly been a topic of discussion during the COVID-19 pandemic, how has this period of isolation impacted the mental well-being of these individuals?

“Loneliness amongst the older population will be a much more insidious cause of casualty than we previously realized,” says Matthew L Russell, MD, a geriatrician and palliative care specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital.

We screen all employees daily for symptoms. Anyone with symptoms of a possible respiratory illness is not allowed to work until they are better.

We screen visitors to our hospital and physicians’ offices for symptoms. Any visitor with symptoms is restricted from entering our hospitals or physicians’ offices.

We test and screen patients for COVID-19.

Admitted patients to our hospital are tested for COVID-19 prior to admission and then screened for symptoms each day of their hospital stay.

Patients visiting our hospital campus and physicians’ offices for clinic appointments are screened for symptoms prior to their visit and again upon arrival. If symptomatic, patients are cared for via virtual visits or in designated areas where we use personal protective equipment (PPE) recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

We CLEAN our hands and spaces and make it easy for you to do the same:

We have increased the frequency and intensity of cleaning of all high touch areas throughout our institutions.

We require frequent hand-cleaning and have added hand sanitizer stations so patients and staff can clean their hands easily and frequently.

We PROTECT everyone in our environment:

We require all people — employees, patients, and visitors — at our facility to wear a mask.

We have rearranged spaces to accommodate physical distancing and prevent transmission of infections, and in some high-use areas, installed plexiglass barriers.